Premonition
by rachelredrum
Summary: A year has passed since Madara's assault on the Leaf Village and Sakura is left plunging into an eternal hole of sadness. Will Neji be able to guide her back to reality, or will it be too late?
1. Oppression

Cloudless blue skies reached for miles as the warm comforting rays of the bright sun painted sweet smiles across the soft faces of civilians; their happiness was contagious. Tall buildings winded around the village in different hues of purple, blue, green, and red. Each structure contained kanji of their respective business names painted proudly upon them. Forests were endless on the outskirts of the village, healthy deep green leaves protruded from thick branches of chestnut brown. Konoha radiated tranquility and peace, inviting spring early for the contentment it brought along with it. Children played, adults laughed, and here she was in a stuffy office doing paperwork all day.

Tsunade pondered at the mission scroll lying innocently before her. Oh how she just wanted to rip the damned thing to shreds; along with all of the other paperwork, and maybe even her title as Hokage altogether. The only thing keeping her from doing so was the annoyingly persistent woman standing stationary behind her. She could practically feel her assistant's expectant gaze bore a hole into the back of her head. It was times like these she needed her precious sake the most.

Shizune drove her to drink.

But luckily after much convincing on Naruto's part, the council had finally given into accepting him as the new Hokage (so she could finally leave this horrendous office and drink all the sake she wanted). They were skeptical, no doubt due to the fact that he was a jinchuriki host. But nonetheless, he carried his master's Will of Fire and was definitely the most powerful ninja in the village. Although he was reckless and compassionate, his skill rivaled her own. He had already far surpassed Master Jiraiya.

Being on Team Seven gave him a reason to fight, it gave him a drive; if he couldn't fight for the people that he loved then what was the point? They contained the greatest friendships and strongest bonds, they were inseparable. It was amazing, the way they fought for each other. Tsunade had witnessed Naruto on the brink of death many of times. Logically, the boy should've died each and every time, but the knowledge of going home to Ichiraku's, Team Seven- just all of the little things, had kept him fighting.

The war between the Five Allied Nations and Uchiha Madara certainly took a number on their shinobi; unfortunately, one of which being Uchiha Sasuke. His death took a toll on the generally bright blond. She had spied him a couple of times working vigorously at the training grounds, instead of sulking around; he poured all of his pent up emotions into his training. His determination burned brighter than ever.

Sakura, she knew, was grieving the most. She had been training non stop as well, though in a more self-destructive way. She had spent each and every waking moment of everyday cooped up in that stuffy hospital; she blamed herself for not being by her teammates' sides throughout the Fourth Great Ninja War.

A bitter smile twisted her lips. Life was funny wasn't it? Naruto had finally fulfilled his promise, only to have all of his work trampled by Madara. Like a carefully built house cards tumbling down by a heady gust of wind. Now all that was left was to start again.

His perseverance never seemed to fail to make her smile. He was stubborn; he had never let his dream of becoming Hokage dwindle away. Naruto's directionless dreaming had steered into something more through his experience as a ninja, fighting till the very end for the people you love; that was the Will of Fire.

But why Naruto would pick the tedious task of being Hokage was beyond her.

He was scheduled to become Hokage within seven months time, and she was counting down the minutes. She laughed dryly, that idiot was in for a rude awakening. Piles and piles of scrolls, boring council meetings, no more Ichiraku ramen; he wouldn't last a day-

She heard the dark-haired woman tap her heeled foot impatiently on the hardwood floor. Figures, the only way out of the damned paperwork was to do it. Huffing out a sigh of defeat, she scanned her honey-colored eyes deliberately over the neatly written report.

A small town on the outskirts of Fire Country has reported several disappearances and casualties of couples that have attended Ai no Rakuen; a honeymoon resort well known for its warm weather and gorgeous scenery. Apparently the disappearances had been occurring for over three months, and they only seem to have been occurring more frequently.

Over the past three months seven couples have been reported missing, while four seem to have been found to have committed suicide within their suits. Why are they asking for help three months prior to the first disappearance? Why not contact the village sooner? Suspicion flickered in the back of her mind, but she diminished it quickly. She would have Shikamaru go over the scroll later.

"Shizune! What Jounin availability do we have at the moment?"

"Well, Malady; Lee, Neji, Aoba, and Sakura are the only Jounin  
who are available at the moment, although if it is not too urgent-"

"Thank you, Shizune," she cut in. "Unfortunately this is of quite a high priority.

Tsunade knew the consequences of sending Sakura on this covert assignment. Her wounds were still raw from losing the Uchiha amidst battle, and this mission would be like rubbing salt into her cuts. After all, she herself had been cursed by the fates to witness the death of her first love and little brother. She was keeping Sakura from making the same mistakes that she had, because she loved her as a mother would her child. She didn't want her to hurt.

But Sakura had to start her healing now if she had any hope of getting better. This simply wasn't the time to mope around, the life of a shinobi was too short to live upon regrets. It was a sick and twisted fate, the way of a warrior. The only way to pick up the broken pieces was to not give in to your fears, but to face them. That is why she would send her on this mission. The hospital was becoming too toxic; death, it was all around.

Since Sakura was the only compatible female and available Jounin; she would be the logical choice. The question was who would she work more effectively with, Lee, Aoba, or Neji?

She snorted. _None._

Lee was out of the question, considering his undying affection for her apprentice. Although she was quite found of him, his infatuation with Sakura would prove to be no more than a hindrance, and the skills he would need for this were not exactly his area of expertise. She simply couldn't risk the chance of mission failures in such a delicate time of healing for The Leaf Village.

Aoba was quite skilled in reconnaissance and gathering intel. He excelled in fire based ninjutsu and was an exceptional jounin. But he lacked experience on the battlefield and was treasured greatly by Konoha's intelligence division. He was a necessary asset amongst her handful of strategists. Not to mention a couple with such an age difference between them was sure to garner some attention, which they definitely didn't need.

Therefore, Neji was the last option. The only problem was Neji wasn't known for public affection, or any affection at all for that matter, which this mission would require a great deal of. But he would have to do.

She rubbed her temples in agitation.

"Summon Hyūga Neji."

* * *

"I have a mission for you." The Godaime said bluntly, lacing her hands before her as she eyed the stoic Hyūga critically.

Sakura and Neji were two of her best jounin and she wasn't very found of sending them out on missions so recently after the war. Konoha was still very vulnerable and their defenses were weak. At any rate, she had no choice but to send out her very best elite ninja for this mission- it was imperative that it be completed, considering how much it would pay.

Neji raised an inquisitive eyebrow, urging her to continue.

Due to the war there was a shortage in shinobi, so it came as no surprise to be summoned so soon. He was ready for anything, eager as he was to get back out into the field. Of course, anyone who saw him would have no idea the impatience brewing inside him, but it was there.

Missions were at an all time high while shinobi were at an all time low. Less and less children were being entered into the academy for fear of another war to break out. Therefore leaving a limited amount of ninja to take on more missions than usual. It was a tiresome job indeed, but there were things that needed to be done, necessary sacrifices to be made; and he was more than willing to make those sacrifices.

Tsunade handed him the scroll.

Neji's gaze skimmed the contents of the mission, his eyebrows furrowing upon reading the carefully written kanji.

The mission required two highly-skilled shinobi to pose as newlyweds to inspect the disappearances and alleged suicides of couples at the resort Ai no Rukuen. They would be gathering information on the enemies' whereabouts and were not to engage in battle unless the need arose. After collecting the needed intel they were to report back to the village. When the Hokage obtained word of the enemies' intentions, she would send a retrieval squad to capture the culprit, who would later be incarcerated in Blood Prison.

He nodded over the details, assessing each and every line. Looking up, he met the Godaime's honey eyes. They were piercing and he could tell she still had doubts about the aftereffect of this mission.

"Hokage-sama, who will accompany me on this task?" He asked carefully. He really wasn't in the mood to be given a squealing chuunin as a partner. Neji was very popular around the village and had earned himself quite the reputation as a shinobi. If the Hokage decided to give him a petty chuunin as a teammate then he would simply decline, no matter how vital it may be.

"Haruno Sakura will be your partner. It is crucial that this mission is a success, understand? You must remain undercover at all costs," Tsunade told him seriously.

Upon hearing the name of his future partner, he let out a sigh of relief. They weren't really friends per se, more like acquaintances, but they had worked together in the past and their teamwork was exceptional. His only dilemma was if her link with the Uchiha would be problematic for the outcome of the mission.

"I appointed you team captain, Hyūga. You both are to leave by dawn tomorrow. Do you have any questions?"

"Is it wise to send her on a mission so soon?" He asked carefully. It wasn't like he cared or anything, but he had an obligation as a shinobi to ensure the safety of those around him. If Sakura were to, say, go off the handle, the consequences would rest heavily upon his shoulders.

"I am well aware of your concern, but I've already made up my mind on this matter. Dismissed." She said with a wave of her hand.

Neji was a little annoyed at the lack of answer, but said no more. He turned around and took his leave, but not before hearing the sullen voice of the Godaime.

"Shizune, call in Sakura."

* * *

A terrified scream ripped through the silence of the night.

Tears rolled uncontrollably down her flushed cheeks, leaving thin, glistening trails of salt water in their wake. Her normally bright features were twisted in excruciating pain. Only this pain wasn't like taking a kunai to the neck or a poisoned sword to the gut. This pain emanated from the back of her mind and connected with the valves of her heart, torturing her with unwanted memories of her long gone first love. Her conscience was relentless with its onslaught of nightmares, she didn't want to remember, she wanted to forget.

She wanted to forget the full moon casting shadows upon the stoney, grey path. She wanted to forget the sense of dread that night, that not even she could prevent the inevitable. She wanted to forget spilling her heart out for him, she wanted to forget his resolute decision of revenge, she wanted to forget the ice-cold bench.

She wanted to forget her name rolling off his tongue...

_"Sakura. Thank you... for everything."_

She clenched her eyes and clutched at her chest, fighting back the overwhelming sense of solitude. She bit her lip, willing herself to focus on the physical pain, because anything was better than the feeling of having your heart ripped out of your chest, leaving a gaping hole of nothingness.

_"I'm so in love with you, I can't even stand it!"_

She had spilt her guts and he had left her to clean up the mess. It had been like this for years, the reminiscent dreams came every night; reminding her of all of her mistakes. She should have tried harder, she should have been stronger. She shouldn't have let him go...

Team Kakashi tore itself apart at the semes after knowledge of Sasuke's death had reached the village; he had died a hero fighting alongside Konoha in the Fourth Great Ninja War. He had fought with everything he had, but it wasn't enough.

Because he wasn't there anymore.

_She scrubbed her hands ferociously under the steaming water, working to get the blood and grime out from under her finger nails. She could hear the sounds of war outside, the makeshift tent doing nothing to prevent agonizing screams and battle cries. The air was thick with chakra and stifling with the smell of blood and smoke. It was a difficult task, healing in the midst of war. Were her friends okay, or were they long gone? These questions never ceased; it seemed she was fighting an inner battle of her own. She hated being oblivious to her friends' wellbeing. _

_Fighting back the urge to run outside and find out for herself, she took a deep breath. No, she had to believe in them. She was fighting tooth and nail to keep her patients healthy, she had to have faith that they were just as successful in their battle as she was with hers. _

_Smiling at her new-found confidence, she turned around and collided with a very solid, very muscular chest._

_She clutched her nose in pain and took a step back. Dragging her eyes, rather slowly, up the solid expanse of hard muscles; she met two bottomless, pools of silver flecked black staring intently at her. She squeaked in embarrassment at having been caught ogling the object of her childhood affection. _

_"Sorry, Sasuke." She muttered avoiding his smoldering gaze._

_For a minute she thought he would set her ablaze with his unyielding stare. She was surprised to look up and see traces of a small smile; hesitant, but so real. _

_"Sakura," her name rolled of his tongue lazily, as if time and space meant nothing, as if the world didn't exist, as if Konoha wasn't at war with the world's most notorious criminal. Their gazes locked together. She felt compelled to look away, but before she could her jaw was captured in a gentle yet firm grip. She gasped, watching with wide eyes as he leaned down and captured her lips with his own._

_The kiss was unhurried, sweet, passionate. And from it she could feel him pour in every ounce of emotion he had so carefully concealed; fear, anger, sadness, regret, and... love. She kissed him back with equal affection, staying true to her words the night he left all of the years ago. It felt so, so_ right.

_They both drew back reluctantly at the new presence that flickered into the room. _

_"Uchiha-san, you are needed on the battlefield."_

_Sasuke nodded in acknowledgement and the ANBU flickered back out of sight. He turned to leave, but was stopped by small trembling fingers. Following the dainty hand, he looked up to find worried, emerald eyes gazing up at him intensively. Her lip trembled, but there was no tears, there was no time for tears._

_"Don't die." She whispered brokenly._

_"Never." He tilted his head to the side and pecked her cheek, disappearing along with the warmth of his lips._

It had all been empty words.

She grit her teeth through the pain. Is this what Sasuke had gone through each and every waking moment since the massacre of his clan? Persistent nightmares, anxiety, depression... She wished she could take it back, wished she could bring him back somehow. Only she couldn't, she couldn't do any of it. She couldn't right her wrongs or bring people back to life. Could she even love? She loved her friends, but that was different, right? She couldn't even tell the difference anymore.

_Love._ The word seemed... it seemed so foreign.

Her shaking diminished and she stared unseeing ahead of her, her normally vibrant green eyes were glassy and bloodshot. Time stood still, until she lifted herself out of her bed, her movements robotic as she dressed herself in her casual clothing; a mid-thigh navy blue skirt, and her crimson shirt with attached ivory sleeves. Sluggishly, she slipped on her knee-high boots. Lifting her eyes, she looked herself over in the mirror.

She was met with puffy red-rimmed eyes, long pink hair in disarray, and blotchy skin. She didn't even recognise the pitiful girl staring back at her. She didn't live, she existed. She was simply a graveyard of her former self, walking around aimlessly and without purpose, wallowing in misery. This is what she had reduced herself to. There was nothing, numbness in her expression, and it was in that moment she realized she could do nothing. She was too weak.

She always had been


	2. Dreams

**(A/N: Hello loves, I'm back and I have brought a gift. Thanks to my lovely bestfriend, Stardust413, for editing. Also, I apologize if my updates aren't very frequent since this is my first fanfiction. Anyway, hope you enjoy.)**

* * *

Sakura's mind had a tendency to mix up memory and fantasy, sometimes she wasn't able to decipher between reality and fiction. Her dreams were so incredibly vivid, but her mind often exaggerated the events that had taken place. The dreams haunted her after waking, and followed her during the day, like a heavy fog that would never clear away. They burned at her eyes and clawed at her throat. Insomnia was her hell.

She had awoken to another early morning followed by another sleepless night.

Sleep deprivation was nothing new to Sakura. Over the past year a horrid restlessness had made itself known within her. She would get six hours of sleep at best; last night she had only managed two. It wasn't that she had trouble getting to sleep so much as she was afraid of the nightmares that occurred nearly every night. She dreaded being pulled into the vast expanse of the dream world, where time could be stretched to seem like forever. An infinite screening of the worst moments of her life played over and over.

After yet another fitful night's sleep she had walked in a daze to the only road that led out of the village, replaying the numbing scenes through her head. Sakura knew her mind had to be focused on the mission. She couldn't allow it to be compromised because of her past; there was no room for selfishness on this mission, or any mission for that matter. Other people had it worse, everyone had their fair share of bad memories from back then.

But they just wouldn't stop, they wouldn't go away. It seemed no matter what she did, every time she closed her eyes, that terror-filled day replayed itself behind her lids. The image was fresh in her mind. His skin was a ghostly white, his face set in a serene expression of eternal rest, one she didn't realize he would never wake from...

_"Sakura-sama, he's... he's dead."_

_"Shut up!"_

_Trembling fists clenched, knuckles bleached white as her nails bit jagged crescents into blood-slickened palms-_

A familiar presence jolted her from her reverie.

"Good morning, Sakura." A calm voice spoke from behind her.

Neji had arrived silently. He had been spying her from a distance for quite a while. As he watched her he noticed her almost dreamy expression; it was as though her soul had wandered elsewhere. Her vessel stood before him, yes, but she seemed to not really be there at all. She had been running her hand over the bench, gazing at the smooth concrete with a troubled expression. He knew what she was thinking of.

She started and looked up at him upon hearing her name. "Good morning, Neji." She replied, her expression changing as she plastered on a a smile that didn't quite reach her eyes; it was the only smile she ever wore now that the war was over. Sakura shook hands with her new teammate, both silently acknowledging eachother with mutual respect and understanding.

Then the pair set out on their journey, doing their utmost to push down the lingering awkwardness that threatened to surface. The specific mission requirements were sitting at the forefront of their minds, not yet out in the open.

It would take four days to reach the small town of Ki, since it was located on the western border of Fire Country. They would go over their roles and backup plans during the first night of rest (although it was unlikely she would get much), and fine tune them during the second and third.

For the time being Sakura's means of entertainment would have to reside within her own thoughts, since her team captain deemed it unnecessary to engage in conversation. Although, she supposed she was thankful for his silence, in a way. It gave her an opportunity to get her head straight, even though she should have gotten it together earlier.

She focused on the familiar surroundings, taking in every tree limb that dared quake beneath the weight of a squirrel or bird. Her light feet sent her flying through the forest next to her silent partner, who was equally as weightless on his feet, despite his greater mass.

After a while, Sakura's attention was drawn to the young man who was gliding stealthily in front of her. His dark brown hair flowed behind him like a silk scarf, reaching his mid-back in his typical low ponytail. As it caught the brief flashes of sunlight, she noticed his hair had natural midnight lowlights. She found herself slightly jealous of the variety of color that blended throughout his long tresses. His face was set in a concentrated expression, mind focused on everything going on around him. He obviously didn't let his mind linger on the past.

Sakura sighed. She hoped to be able to let go of the past like he did, to move on in the way he has.

In an attempt to calm her racing thoughts she breathed in the soothing atmosphere around her. The air smelled rich and earthy, with fragrant flowers artfully scattered about the forest floor. The sun's rays peeked through the plush green leaves like ethereal beams. She could hear the sing-song chirping of birds and various sounds of other animals.

The trees bristled as the swirling winds carried the day's colors away, plunging the world into darkness as the hours passed them by.

"We should stop and rest here for the night." Stopping in his tracks, Neji tilted his head toward the clearing below before asking, "Did you bring civilian clothing?"

Sakura nodded, dropping into the luscious glade.

"I, um," she looked down at her feet, feeling slightly awkward as she toed a blade of grass. "I can take first watch..." she didn't want him to know of her insomnia or of her horrid, nightly episodes. Her screams would attract attention anyway so she deemed it better to not sleep at all. She needed sleep, she knew that, but it was impossible due to the inevitable stress and fear that came with it.

For the time being she would take an anti-sleep pill. Back at the hospital Sakura had concocted it specifically to put off the need for sleep. She knew with the shortage of shinobi that it would only be a matter of time before her shishou would send her on a mission. The pill wouldn't prevent the nightmares, but they would keep her from being dragged into slumber for a while.

"You will do no such thing," Neji said simply.

Her emerald eyes widened in panic before they narrowed to slits, her lips tugged downward to form an annoyed scowl. She placed her hands on her hips and glared at her team captain fiercely.

"And why the hell not?"

"Because you are fatigued," he said sternly. As if to prove his point, his ecru eyes roamed over her form pointedly before he went on. "Your sclera are bloodshot, you have bags under your eyes, and your legs are shaking from muscle strain."

She looked at him in silent outrage, taking a step in his direction. Where the hell did he get off on telling her_, _a_ medic, _that she was fatigued? It wasn't his business. She opened her mouth to tell him where he could shove his observations, but stopped as he raised his hand in the air.

He eyed her shrewdly before continuing. "You of all people should know that a proper amount of rest is a crucial component in all missions."

"But-"

"Rest, Sakura. That is an order."

She grit her teeth and held her tongue, watching as he disappeared into the dense foliage. She knew not to argue any further; as that would result in absolutely nothing from the infamous Hyūga Neji. He was only trying to ensure that his teammate was well prepared for the mission, after all. He was just as stubborn as the dead Uchiha.

Sakura smiled sadly at the obvious similarities that they shared. Neji and Sasuke were both devastatingly handsome to say the least, arrogant, but also compassionate deep down. Deep, _deep_ down.

_He is kind of like Sasuke, isn't he?_ From the dominating aura, right down to the brooding nature. They were both incredibly smart, even rivaling her own intelligence.

But despite their likeness, they were also very different. Neji was more level-headed, always following his duty as a shinobi; where as Sasuke was just as reckless as Naruto, act first, think later.

And it was that exact recklessness that had gotten the stupid fool killed.

She sighed tiredly, rubbing at her eyes as they began to droop. She prepared her bedroll, removing her hitai-ate and weapons holster before settling into the uncomfortable makeshift bed. She knew it was a bad idea, sleep, it was no good for her, but before she could stop it she was pulled into the dreaded darkness of her mind.

* * *

His arm dangled over his right knee as he poked at the fire with a twig. He watched the embers drift silently as if to reach the sky, but fizzled out before they could, like miniature fireworks. The fiery flurries danced to the crackling fire's soft music.

He had planned on going over the mission tonight, but upon returning from the woods had found his teammate curled in a ball and fast asleep. The mission itself would prove to be quite difficult, let alone the fact that he had to do it with Sakura. He admired her for her abilities. She was smart and perhaps one of the strongest kunoichi he had the pleasure of knowing.

But as of right now she was weak, simply more deadweight he had to carry. Plus he doubted she could pull off a plausible role as his wife.

He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, forcing his mind to go blank. Meditation was what he liked to call it. He recreated the relaxing atmosphere around him in his head. The sweet, smoky smell of charring wood that stung at his eyes ever so slightly. The mesmerising orange, red glow of the campfire that created a clashing, molten pool behind his eyelids. Here, he was nobody, not the member of a branch off a prestigious clan, and not a pawn.

He was Neji, not Neji _Hyūga._

Times were tough, people were suffering, his current teammate being one of them. He had noticed the emptiness and distant nature that surrounded her. Her chakra had used to feel so warm, welcoming even, but now it held a sort of bitterness to it, one the made him feel uncomfortable and tense.

Hinata had told him of the rare nights Sakura would come to her for guidance. Apparently Ino had abandoned her, which was odd. They had been best friends since as long as he could remember, after all. He knew Ino to be somewhat shallow and self-absorbed but she wasn't horrible (not that he cared much for the blond). It must have been equal on both sides for them to be separated so easily. Neji knew Hinata would stand forever by her friend's side.

But even he knew that Sakura's only solution would be found within herself. She simply wasn't searching hard enough, that is, if she was searching at all.

The sweetness of her chakra, the basis of her personality, had been wiped away with the results of the war. She had slowly started declining invitations to parties and hang outs with Rookie 9 and Team Gai before disappearing all together. It had almost been unnoticeable, the way she managed to isolate herself from her friends and sneak her way out of social gatherings.

On the off chance that he got injured on a mission and was sent to the hospital, he would see her working vigorously. Heavy bags would outline her green eyes, darkened considerably with stress as she hurried from one patient to the next. She had even grown her hair absurdly long, all the way to her knees. Her hair color seemed to have changed as well, not drastically, but just enough for the eyes of a Hyūga to see. It was sort of dull and stringy, not as vibrant as before. She was apathetic and he had yet to see her emit any sort of emotion.

It was unnerving, this new Sakura.

And he didn't like it.

"Nnnnh,"

Neji's eyes snapped open at the small, frail whimper that stung the air. Confused, he whipped his head to where Sakura rested, watching her, his senses on high alert for any change in the atmosphere, only there was none. Just his petite teammate sprawled over her bedroll in a mess of pink tangles.

Her delicate pink eyebrows furrowed in an almost horrified expression, her lips quivered violently. He watched her wearily from the other side of the campfire. She seemed to be pained. Should he wake her? His eyes roamed over her shuttering form seeking physical injury, watching as her hands twitched and her legs jerked. Her body racked every so often with random spasms.

"N-No, don't die," she croaked hoarsely. It was a desperate plea, wrapped in bittersweet melancholy. The way she spoke set his insides churning.

_Don't die?_ Was she having a nightmare? He dragged his eyes back up to her face where her eyes moved violently from behind her eyelids, hinting that she was having a dream.

Was she dreaming of the death and decay that so heavily weighed upon a shinobi's shoulders? Or was she dreaming of the patients she hadn't the power of saving? These questions daunted him. He was curious. Maybe her nightmares were the center of her dejection.

Neji watched in silent surprise as tears made glistening trails down her reddened cheeks. They shined in the campfire's dim light.

She was _crying._


	3. Reality

**(A/N: I'm so sorry it took so long for me to update. I had finals, but now I am free. I would love to thank everyone who reviewed, favorited, and followed, even my silent readers. You are all so encouraging! Anyways please forgive me if I made any mistakes, I was unable to contact my beta. But I won't keep you waiting any longer so without further ado, chapter three!)**

* * *

The pair was walking rather slowly, as civilians do, down the dirt road. The trees on either side of them stood tall and proud, majestic in their sense of being larger than life. The plush, green leaves glistened with morning dew.

Sakura gazed up at them in silent awe. It wasn't often that she was able to take the time to appreciate nature this way. Usually when on a mission, the goal was to do it as quickly as possible. At home she kept busy at the hospital, especially lately. She had to keep her mind off things.

Neji walked beside her, equally as silent, but seemed to be unaffected by the beauty of the scenery. He had switched his usual Jounin attire with a navy blue yukata. His headband had been replaced with a generic, dark scarf, over which he wore a plain, straw hat. Unlike her he got to keep his Konoha sandals.

Sakura's own outfit was ridiculously impractical. She'd had to get rid of her bandages, along with her ninja headband. Her flak vest and shorts had been replaced by a long, wine-colored kimono. White petals were intricately woven into the soft material. On her feet she wore uncomfortably stiff socks with geta sandals that pinched her toes with every step.

Luckily, since the resort was so secluded from any major villages, they would not have to disguise themselves in transformation jutsu. It wasn't hard by any means, simply bothersome to pretend to be somebody else.

But that's what she'd been doing lately anyway, right?

Walking through the narrow forest gave her time to bear her thoughts. She was suddenly overwhelmed with the reminiscent feeling of going on missions. Sakura had been so heavily dependent on her hospital work that she had forgotten the relief of slowing down, unwinding. It was sweet relief and she found herself welcoming it once again.

She took a deep breath. Not being confined to the too white walls of the hospital would be nice for a change. Sometimes the death and blood would become too stifling for her to handle. She had isolated herself within the hospital's laboratory, focusing more on uncured diseases and unexplainable phenomenons of the human body.

The hospital had been empty lately, thankfully.

Sakura wasn't someone to be so easily grossed out. But she just couldn't stomach the thought of blood and decay, she feared it now more than ever. It made her job as Konoha's top doctor all the more difficult.

As she gazed at the trees towering above her head, she noticed a bush rustling about ten yards ahead. Her eyes focused on the spot, and after a few moments it rustled again. This time, through the leaves she saw dark clothing and the glint of something metallic. Casually, she hooked her hand through Neji's elbow and leaned close to his ear.

"There's someone hiding in that bush at two o'clock," she said, pointing with her eyes.

Neji pulled his hat low over his eyes and activated his byakugan. His eyes scanned the forest thoroughly before he deactivated his bloodline limit and fixed his hat. He leaned down to whisper in his partner's ear, looking every bit the affectionate husband. "There are four more. One in the tree just above him, and the other three are on the other side of the road."

Her eyes now easily picked out each form. "Do you think they're ninja, or just bandits?" she asked in a hushed tone.

"Probably bandits. Chunin level at best," he murmured. "When they attack, you take the two on your side, and I'll take care of the others. Most likely their plan is to surround us, stay behind me."

They approached the spot where the bandits would likely begin the attack. Sakura counted down the seconds in her head: four, three, two, one... Sure enough, the five jumped out at that moment. _So predictable_.

Sakura feigned surprise, immediately hiding behind Neji. She peered over his shoulder as he held up his hands and crouched before her.

One of the masked men took a step forward. He was the largest of the five, and stood at least two heads taller than Sakura herself. He pointed a dull kunai in their direction before he spoke.

"Hand over your valuables, and we might let you pass on through." Behind him she could hear the obnoxious guffaws of his accomplices. She fought back the urge to roll her eyes. _Typical bandits_.

"Please, we do not carry anything of value. Let us pass and-"

"Who's the lovely lady?" He cut in abruptly, completely ignoring the Hyūga. "Her kimono seems to be valuable. Why don't we take it off 'er." His friends snickered at the apparent joke. The bandit stepped around Neji before standing in front of Sakura, flashing her a toothy grin.

"Hey there baby, my name's Matsuda. What's yours?" He looked down at her with vibrant, yellow eyes. She stared at them. What a peculiar color they were. They were abnormally bright.

She blinked. "U-Um, well..." she stammered purposefully, avoiding his gaze. That was weird. She could've sworn his eyes had somehow changed.

Sakura hid well behind her role, but anger slowly made its way through her and it was taking all of her willpower to keep from punching him into next week.

Neji seemed to have noticed because he stretched his arm between them, "Do _not_ involve my wife."

Matsuda's crude comments irked him to no end. It disgusted him to watch a young woman so blatantly disrespected. He clenched his teeth fully prepared to activate his bloodline limit. He wasn't to keen on the idea of blowing their cover, but if it would shut that chauvinistic asshole up then so be it.

The bandit held his kunai to Sakura's neck. "Hey, boys, I think we've found ourselves-" before he could finish that thought, he was sent careening backwards, a cloud of dirt following closely behind.

The four bandits turned to Sakura in shock. She stood with angry, green eyes narrowed into slits, fists raised, and jaw clenched. They smiled smugly before charging at her with various training weapons.

She scoffed, "Fucking idiots," she reached into her garter holster and produced four scalpels, "like that'll work on me," she threw them with practiced ease, nailing them each in their jugular before they erupted into clouds of smoke.

_Shadow clones_.

She felt Neji move behind her, both now back to back.

"Where are they?" She whispered.

No reply.

Sakura turned her head before grabbing hold of his shoulder and giving him a ruff jolt "_Neji_," she hissed.

His back was still to her, but from what she could see his head was tilted downwards. She felt a sudden wave of fear wash over her. She spun him around before gasping and taking a shaky step backwards. His eyes were gouged out and he was smiling at her. It was a sinister smile.

"Sakura," he breathed, letting her name roll off of his tongue. His voice was the same, yet so different. It was laced with false sugar and sweet malice. He held up a shaky wrist and pointed at her, showing her a row of rotted, razor sharpened teeth. "you're..." He leaned in close to her ear, "_dead_."

She let out a shocked sob as he curled his jagged nails around her throat. No, it couldn't be Neji. It must be a genjutsu. But then why couldn't she break it? She tried to dispel the jutsu, but to no avail.

He tilted his head to the side, clicking his tongue in disapproval. "Naughty, naughty," he grinned up at her widely, "I wouldn't do that if I were you."

Something wasn't right.

Suddenly she felt heavy, her limbs stopped working and it took an incredible amount of energy to just twitch her finger. Mustering up the rest of her oxygen she screamed, hoping for someone to hear her.

It was fruitless.

But that didn't mean she would give up."Unh," she fought in his grip as her eyes blurred in and out of focus. Her vision began to turn grey. The view before her was set ablaze. The edges of her view went bleary. Neji tightened his hold, "_ugh_," he let out a sardonic laugh at her futile attempts.

"I like it when you struggle," he purred.

Naruto. She clenched her teeth, fighting back the tears that threatened to spill. His sunny smile and promising thumbs up flashed through her head. He had made her a promise back when they were genin. The promise of a lifetime. She couldn't remember a time when he had gone back on his ninja way. Not once had he given in, not once.

How disappointed would he be if he saw her right now. How incredulous the whole situation. She could already imagine the headline and article of Konoha's newspaper.

_Haruno Sakura, best medic of all the great nations, successor of the Hokage and future sannin, dead._

She would have laughed had her windpipe not been in the midst of being crushed.

But either way, that wouldn't be happening anytime soon. Her comrade was out fighting the others and she had to do her part to.

She would not fail.

With renewed determination she tapped into her Yin seal. Sakura sent chakra pulsing through the pathway towards her carotid artery. She converted her chakra into fire before burning all of the nerve endings in his hand.

She stumbled to the ground, coughing up blood as he wrenched his hand from her throat. For a split second she saw a crack in his disguise. His intense eyes rolled into his head, replacing the bloody sockets. They weren't lilac like Neji's, but a dark, smoky purple.

The world warped, the trees swirled, and the sky darkened eerily.

She smirked weakly.

So, it wasn't genjutsu since it affected him too. He must physically be there with her for him to withdraw from her attacks. It must be a form of sleep paralysis. A limbo. If she could recall, Madara had used something similar, but she had a feeling this would be slightly different.

He had created an alternate universe, that much was certain. He even replicated the surroundings perfectly. But when had she gotten trapped? She had been careful, hadn't she?

Well, whether she had been or not. She had to be careful now.

He could bend her emotions using Neji's appearance. Despite her outward dislike towards him, Neji was still her friend, a comrade. One she would protect no matter the cost.

She stood up on shaky legs and wiped the blood from her mouth.

"I want to make you a deal," he said.

She narrowed her eyes and laughed dryly. "You sure do have a weird way of showing it. But either way," she held a healing green hand to her throat, "I'd never make a deal with _you._"

He waved his hand dismissively. "I was only trying to seclude you from your clingy partner."

That wasn't what she meant, if he needed her then why would he try to injury her? It couldn't be just to keep her from running away. By the force of his choke hold it certainly didn't seem like he was simply trying to incapacitate her. He must be a misogynist.

"I'll give you-"

"No."

By the looks of it, he seemed very agitated with her answer. "Fine. I guess I'll have to do it the hard way," he bit out. His purple iris' began to bleed into the untainted sclera. She looked at him in confusion.

Those eyes.

It must be a kekkei genkei. One she had never heard of before. They were so surreal. It was odd, she could've sworn she'd read about every bloodline limit in existence. In fact, it's required common knowledge amongst Konoha.

She held up a fist in preparation.

Matsuda looked down at her small form. "All you kunoichi, pathetic." He hissed, "you all strive to be stronger, smarter, but you'll never surpass us men. We were born superior."

She clenched her teeth. He was playing on her weak spot. "_Fuck you_," she spat, "you're not a man, you're a monster."

He growled in approval, "don't mind if I do." He flickered behind her.

She turned around, not allowing him even a moment to react before aiming her knee up his groin. He caught it just in time, but not without consequence. She shattered the bones in his hand. Both of his hands now immobile at his sides.

Sakura showed no mercy. She jumped up into the air, building up the force for what was sure to be a monstrous attack. She narrowed her eyes as her foot collided with the false earth. The dirt cracked and shook beneath her. Where'd he go?

Above, right, behind, below...

_Left_.

She bolted right and dashed up a tall redwood. Matsuda followed closely behind, getting ready to give her a paralyzing kick to her spine.

She grabbed hold of the closest branch; swinging in a three-sixty, ready to ricochet his kick. The wood began to splinter beneath her hand. Before it could break, she let go. Pumping chakra into her legs, she went feet first, ready for the impact of colliding with her enemy.

However, he didn't give her a chance to land a hit. With all the force he had, he swung his foot straight into her stomach.

Her back connected painfully with the tree. Spitting up blood, she looked up at him in fury. Her fiery green eyes held him to his spot, daring him to make his next move.

"You're a fiesty one, hm?"

Her back ached. She attempted to get up.

Nothing.

Each time she tried to get up, she would always be knocked back down. By no means was her opponent stupid and she found herself rethinking her combat decisions. Before... when she had looked for him. Why had she turned her back on him?

Her shishou had taught her to always keep her eyes on her opponent. So _why_...

He was controlling her. "How did you..."

"My dear girl." He grinned so wide it was inhuman,"it's not me who's controlling you," he licked his lips, savoring his next words as if they were a dirty secret, "it's you."

There was a shift in the atmosphere. Her stomach churned as anxiety slowly spread throughout her limbs. She licked her lips as they became like sandpaper. Sweat began to bead at her forehead. Ivory skin paled to an ashen grey as once rosy cheeks became poisoned and weary.

The words she was trying to speak never came out.

"You poor thing." He continued to degrade her, "look at you shivering like a leaf in the wind." The sadistic grin he wore never faltered.

She simply watched in horror as someone emerged from a tree. It was...

It was her.

* * *

He caught the fist of his opponent, crushing it in his hand. The man grunted before leaping backwards.

Sakura had been knocked unconscious by Matsuda, leaving him to deal with the other four. So far he had taken out one.

They proved to be quite an annoyance. Their fighting style had probably originated from one of the smaller villages amongst Konoha. Mediocre at best.

"Hakke Rokujūyon Shō." Neji didn't miss a beat as he sent the man an onslaught of his 64 palms technique.

He whirled around as the remaining two ran his way.

"_I'll kill you_," the smallest of the two jumped in the air, sending Neji a barrage of senbon. The Hyūga scoffed as he dodged the needles effortlessly.

"Bring it on."

The bandit ran head on, teeth clenched and fists raised.

"Shōtei!" He cut off the chakra network closest to the man's heart, killing him instantly.

He whipped his head to his motionless partner who lay on the ground. Her lips were blood-stained and he feared the worst. Never had he witnessed such a powerful illusion. He assumed she had been lured into a genjutsu. Neji had sorely underestimated their skill, even as he struck the last bandit with his gentle fist. All four scattered the ground with their lifeless bodies.

One left. He clenched his fists involuntarily as he searched for the last chakra signature. He seemed to have slipped out of range. Turning his eyes towards Sakura, Neji noticed a lilt in her chakra. It was different. It was churning, abnormal.

His eyes narrowed in realization. It was Matsuda's chakra. It flowed through her pathways erratically, latching itself around her brain and heart. It was quite rare, but he recognized the jutsu. It was called Otodama.

The enemy would render their opponent unconscious and battle them for their mind. The loser would be sent to a limbo in the subconscious, and the winner would obtain the new vessel or regain it.

But the jutsu could only be used if one had the bloodline called bashirisuku. He had thought it had died out years ago, especially since this particular kekkei genkei was man-made. That was the rumor anyway.

Neji quickly ran over to his partners still form. He racked his brain for a solution. Uncle Hirashi had informed him of the forbidden jutsu. The wielder must have to have a considerable amount of chakra to even cast it, let alone battle within the subconscious.

He ran his fingers under her chin, sending in a pulse of his energy to disrupt the jutsu.

Almost immediately, Sakura sat up gasping for air. Her glassy eyes opened to look at him.

And he saw it.

Fear.

Without a word, he wrapped his arms around her small form with a gentleness that surprised even him. She reminded him of a startled deer. She was so strong, yet he felt as though taking any sudden movements would paralyze her.

The place she had been taken to... it was a gripping reality that delved into the mind's inner most fears. For Sakura's current mental state, it was unhealthy, damaging. The jutsu could have completely wiped away what little remained of her personality.

It bordered on fatal.

To be quite honest, he was at a loss.

Neji stood quietly, holding his partner close. He would not reprimand her for being careless. For he had been the careless one.


End file.
